The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CALUMNY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
A
L
U
M
N
Y
More clues leading to the result CALUMNY
- Slander male in a variety of lunacy
- Lying undisturbed at first in peaceful state
- Smear cold sulphate on new yellow tops
- My uncle baselessly spread round a malicious lie
- Silly goon excluded from moving agony column’s hatchet job
- Married in a fit of lunacy? That’s slander
- Scots lad’s nasty, heartless lie
- Slander constant smoker in a city
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Slander" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case slander = calumny.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CALUMNY mean?
CALUMNY noun- A false accusation or charge brought to tarnish another's reputation or standing.
- Falsifications or misrepresentations intended to disparage or discredit another.
- To make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or standing; to calumniate.